Letter: We are a nation of immigrants

This letter is in response to “Secure the borders” (July 17 Readers Write). Shame on you!

First, a quote from the Bible, Matthew 25:42-45:

“For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you never made me welcome. When I was naked you did nothing to clothe me; when I was sick and in prison you never cared to visit me.”

“Then they too will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison, and fail to look after you?’”

“Then the king will answer them with these words, ‘I assure you that whatever you failed to do to the humblest of my brothers you failed to do to me.’”

The children coming into this country are refugees in desperate need of help and compassion. These are children, escaping rape, violence and starvation.

It is shameful that any person would deny aid to these children.

You mention that these people have disease. Do you have any idea how selfish and inhumane that sounds? You would turn away a child that is ill? You would have that child or child’s mother suffer rather than offer aid? Think what you are saying!

It may be time for current American citizens to take a history lesson. We are a nation of immigrants! “Most of them illegal.” Other than the American Indians, the rest of us are descendants of immigrants.

There was a time when we were proud of our heritage as immigrants as in the song “America, The Beautiful” … “Oh beautiful, for pilgrim feet...” In case you need a translation, the Pilgrims were immigrants! When and how did we become a nation of selfish, entitled, exclusionist people?